Big Red - and a feeling of inevitability...
Here are a few pics of Big Red, my "new" 1992 (actually first registered in 1993) BMW R80RT
It's in VERY good condition - slightly daunting considering I'll be keeping it outdoors and can't hope to keep it as immaculate as it is. There aren't even any chain scratches on the front wheel or paint! The worst thing I've found so far is a small gouge in the fibreglass just behind and below the seat, which I assume was done by something rubbing against it - maybe luggage straps or some sort of oddball accessory. I may try to fill it eventually, but I'd need to match the paint first.
[Big Red]
One minor annoyance is that the secondary instruments don't ever seem to have been fitted; the fairing has positions for a clock and a voltmeter, but they are blanked off (the blanking plates are about 50mm wide) and there is no wiring loom for them. Neither is exactly essential, though I probably will get around to fitting a clock eventually - probably not the BMW one which is eye-wateringly expensive and needs to be connected to the bike's battery, I may just find a battery-powered clock that fits in the hole, or can be positioned in a hole in the blanking plate. If anyone knows something that will do the job and preferably is (a) easy to read and (b) cheap please let me know. Needs to be reasonably waterproof, of course.
Finally, an inevitable annoyance; Westminster charge for motorcycle parking. The cheapest way to pay, if you're a resident, is a resident's permit covering your home area and all motorcycle bays throughout Westminster. On Saturday I had the permit transferred to Big Red; today I parked in a motorbike bay, and came back to the bike to find a ticket. So I've filed an appeal. The wording was very easy, since exactly the same thing happened to me when I got The Brick and parked that on the street for the first time... Considering that the whole operation is computerised, they seem to be remarkably bad at updating the data available to the traffic wardens!
It's in VERY good condition - slightly daunting considering I'll be keeping it outdoors and can't hope to keep it as immaculate as it is. There aren't even any chain scratches on the front wheel or paint! The worst thing I've found so far is a small gouge in the fibreglass just behind and below the seat, which I assume was done by something rubbing against it - maybe luggage straps or some sort of oddball accessory. I may try to fill it eventually, but I'd need to match the paint first.
[Big Red]
One minor annoyance is that the secondary instruments don't ever seem to have been fitted; the fairing has positions for a clock and a voltmeter, but they are blanked off (the blanking plates are about 50mm wide) and there is no wiring loom for them. Neither is exactly essential, though I probably will get around to fitting a clock eventually - probably not the BMW one which is eye-wateringly expensive and needs to be connected to the bike's battery, I may just find a battery-powered clock that fits in the hole, or can be positioned in a hole in the blanking plate. If anyone knows something that will do the job and preferably is (a) easy to read and (b) cheap please let me know. Needs to be reasonably waterproof, of course.
Finally, an inevitable annoyance; Westminster charge for motorcycle parking. The cheapest way to pay, if you're a resident, is a resident's permit covering your home area and all motorcycle bays throughout Westminster. On Saturday I had the permit transferred to Big Red; today I parked in a motorbike bay, and came back to the bike to find a ticket. So I've filed an appeal. The wording was very easy, since exactly the same thing happened to me when I got The Brick and parked that on the street for the first time... Considering that the whole operation is computerised, they seem to be remarkably bad at updating the data available to the traffic wardens!